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States and Territories

Australia's six states are:

Victoria is small by Australian standards, but it makes up for its size deficiency with a heavily urbanised population who celebrate their food, sport and drink with typical Australian passion. Roughly 70% of Victorians live in Melbourne, the capital city and Australia's second largest city.

New South Wales is Australia's most populous state and has great appeal to travellers worldwide. Landmarks like the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge in Sydney, to the Blue Mountains in the west, the Hunter Region and its wineries, the coast and its countless beaches, the Snowy Mountains and Mountt Kosciusko as well as over 600 national parks and reserves to explore.

Queensland, also known as the "Sunshine State", enjoys a very agreeable climate with 300 days of sunshine a year. Its natural environment is a major draw card, particularly with spectacular natural wonders like the Great Barrier Reef beckoning. There is a lot more to offer though, including some of the only places in the world where the rain forest meets the ocean. Although many people stick to the beautiful coastline, Queensland actually exists of huge areas of Outback stretching to the interior and all the way up north to the little visited Cape York Peninsula.

Tasmania is an increasingly popular destination for travellers to Australia. Tasmania's rugged natural beauty is its primary draw card and there are numerous options of wilderness adventures including some very rewarding treks.

South Australia South Australia is one of the states in Australia, located in the central southern part of the country. It is home to some of the greatest wine regions in the world and surely one of the best in Australia. But there is much more to explore, from cities like Adelaide to outback towns as Coober Pedy. And of course there is a fair share of wildlife, both on land as well as underneath the surface of the ocean. Still, South Australia is a little less visited compared to its famous neighbours to the east, but if you are deciding to travel from the south towards the north through the central parts, you will inevitably travel through this magnificent piece of land.

Western Australia is Australia's largest state and markets itself as the "Real Australia". Its remote beaches, sandy deserts and vast empty spaces certainly give the claim some credibility. Getting here is all the fun, that is if you don't fly. It's along way from anywhere in central and eastern Australia and although good sealed roads connect Western Australia with the rest of the country, distances are long and many other interior roads are very rough. You can easily spend months here and leave the rest of Australia for what it is, as you won't get bored and you can usually visit most areas without the crowds you will face on the east coast of the country.

Australia's two territories are:

Northern Territory, or NT, takes up a sizeable slice of central and northern Australia. The territory is divided into two distinct climates, a tropical climate in the north (known as the Top End) and a desert climate in the southern part of Territory. It is a land of wide open spaces, dense rain forests and an indigenous history that dates backs over 40,000 years.

Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is the smallest entity in Australia, only measuring 2,366 square kilometres. Although many travellers avoid the area, if on purpose or not, there are some areas of interest. Half of the territory is protected as national park or reserve and is a mix of mountain ranges and hills covered in bush land, so plenty to keep hikers, campers and nature-lovers busy for a few days. And of course there is also Canberra, the capital city of Australia to visit, with many interesting museums and Parliament house to visit.